So, a friend of mine is going off to some "leadership training" place that is basically a 6 month long indoctrination camp for Pentecostals. She has already begged people for money so she can afford it (paying for your own indoctrination seems... extra wrong). Now that she has the money for it, she's asking people to send her their favorite books so she has something to do while she's not being indoctrinated.

SOOOO, I am turning to you, my fellow heathens, to make suggestions for a book I could send her. I'll be doing in anonymously, because it's going to be something like "The God Delusion".

AAAND GO!

Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up.

"Let me give you some advice, bastard: never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister

Apart from obvious like God Delusion or something else like this I think you could send her The Kolyma Tales by Varlam Shalamov. If after reading this she will still believe in just and merciful god (or just god) then I don't know how else you can help her.

The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth.

Ooh, this is sneaky. You should definitely send one that does not have an obvious agenda until you get into the content. At the least, it should have an ambiguous title. Maybe God: A Biography or History of God.

I just wanted to let you know that I love you even though you aren't naked right now.

(13-08-2015 12:16 PM)TurkeyBurner Wrote: Ooh, this is sneaky. You should definitely send one that does not have an obvious agenda until you get into the content. At the least, it should have an ambiguous title. Maybe God: A Biography or History of God.

Sneaky is kind of what I am going for. I would send her a copy of The God Delusion, but I fear she'd just pitch it without even opening it. History of God is a good suggestion.

Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up.

"Let me give you some advice, bastard: never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister

If she's up for watching movies, I would send her The Village. While it is a scary movie--it really showcases how people will believe/fear whatever you tell them to believe/fear without question (especially when the powers that be are pulling the strings). It's a reminder that things are not always as they seem and it takes courage to look behind the curtain and to look beyond what someone tells you is *truth.*

Also, a clarification, I'm not just doing this unprovoked to be a douche. This particular friend has been extremely vocal in criticizing my atheism and has gone as far as to give my phone number to her pastor so he could call me and "save" me.

This is merely payback.

Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up.

"Let me give you some advice, bastard: never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister

(13-08-2015 12:28 PM)itsnotmeitsyou Wrote: Also, a clarification, I'm not just doing this unprovoked to be a douche. This particular friend has been extremely vocal in criticizing my atheism and has gone as far as to give my phone number to her pastor so he could call me and "save" me.

This is merely payback.

Then you should (anonymously) send The God Delusion to your friend, ℅ the Camp Director. She'll get a lot of individual attention after that.

Just kidding, please don't do that: it would be incredibly mean and kind of dangerous for her. It is no fun to be singled out as an at-risk soul by one's coreligionists.